Impacts, Factors and Physiological Changes from Adolescence to Adulthood: Critical Essay

This study evaluates the impacts, factors, and physiological changes from Adolescence to Adulthood. Based on moral, emotional, and psychological theories in adolescence, this study emphasizes the behavioral mechanism of adolescents morally and Emotionally along with the advantages and disadvantages of theories. Using Erick's theory, the stages of Adulthood that is mid-Adulthood, Young Adulthood, and old age, have been discussed along with the suggestion of Erick's theory. Furthermore, the crucial role of relationships has been studied with the association of stages of Adulthood.

Adolescence to Adulthood

It is the duration of adolescence in which the transition occurs from childhood to adulthood occurs. Adolescents go through many transformations (physical, knowledge, personality, and social changes) (Donnellan et al., 2012). Teenage years begin with the onset of menarche, which occurs sooner than in the past. However, social and emotional variables might make the end of adolescence uncertain.

Structural changes of the brain during adolescence

Adolescence is a time when the adolescent brain undergoes tremendous growth and development. This procedure involves 'pruning' your child's grey matter, which is where thinking and processing take place, to remove any nonessential connections. In addition, other relationships are reinforced (Donnellan, et.al., 2012). Use it or lose it! This is the brain's technique of being more efficient based on the 'use it or lose it' principle. The rear of the brain is where this pruning begins. The prefrontal cortex, located in the front of the brain, undergoes the least amount of remodeling. Because of this, The Amygdala, corpus callosum, and prefrontal cortex have undergone the most significant alterations (Donnellan et al., 2012). During adolescence, the corpus callosum thickens, resulting in longer reaction times. Emotions and moods are regulated by the amygdala, which grows as well.

Adulthood sees an increase in prefrontal cortex myelination and synaptic pruning, which enhances information processing and strengthens connections to other brain regions. It will take time, and the growth will be erratic.

Structural changes in the brain affect the view of individuals

It has been observed that thought, perceptions, memory, and judgment reside in the brain's frontal lobes. As far as body sensations and touch are concerned, the parietal lobe is the essential part of the brain. Hearing and language are the primary functions of the temporal lobe (Dishion et al., 2012). Vision is the primary function of the occipital lobe. The human brain has evolved to include more advanced capabilities such as improved memory, enhanced social connections, and the sense of feeling emotions. The cerebral cortex, shown in figure 01, which is a large and well-developed outer layer of the brain, gives humans an advantage over other animals.

Hence, the anatomy of the human brain evaluates that structural changes in the brain play a critical functional role in the physiological changes of adolescence or any other life stage (Dishion et al., 2012). Hence, the brain's frontal lobe is central to developing personality traits, making decisions, and moving.

Brain Chemistry of Adolescence

The Neurotransmitters serotonin and Dopamine have been altered in adolescents, making them more prone to emotional responses to rewards and stress.

Reduction in baseline dopamine levels during adolescence

Dopamine is the neurotransmitter that makes you feel pleased. When our brains are overflowing with dopamine, we are more content. Unfortunately, dopamine receptors increase during adolescence, and adults don't feel the same rush when they engage in the same activity (Sinclair et al., 2014). In addition, dopamine is linked to feelings of pleasure and the ability to adapt to the surroundings when deciding. Figure 2 shows the Expansion of dopamine throughout adolescence.

Dopamine levels may be lower during adolescence, but the discharge is more intense, which could lead to a desire for dopamine-inducing experiences like skateboarding behind one moving vehicle (Sinclair et al., 2014). Dopamine levels inside the limbic system rise during adolescence, as does dopamine input to the prefrontal cortex. Adolescent risk-taking and boredom may be affected by the increasing dopamine activity in adolescence. Conversely, according to data, prefrontal-guided behaviors may be significantly impacted by a reduced level of cortex dopamine in adolescents. A variety of factors can cause dopamine deficiency.

Psychological Theories of Adolescent

Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development

According to Kohlberg's thesis, moral development can be divided into three stages, each with two stages. According to Kohlberg, people go through these stages sequentially, and moral cognition is associated with cognitive development. Preconventional, traditional, and most conventional are the three levels of moral thinking (Zhang and Zhao, 2017). Kohlberg found that the rationale behind a child's decision was a better indicator of mortality than the actual answer to a set of moral dilemmas.

He utilized Piaget's narrative method to convey moral dilemmas to his audience members. For example, he intended to make people think about the trade-offs between the rights of an authority figure and the demands of someone mistreated.

Advantages of Kohlberg's Theory

• He argued that moral reasoning progresses in stages that can be classified as qualitative or quantitative. They must be completed in order, with no breaks or omissions.
• It's an attractive description of how Kohlberg's moral development theory explains how Piaget's stage of thought processing or logical reasoning explains the advancement of higher levels of our moral reasoning (Zhang, and Zhao, 2017).
• A child's unique personality and the influences of their surroundings, particularly the cultural and social context, interact to shape the development of a child's moral reasoning.

Disadvantages of Kohlberg's Theory

• In terms of the evolution of moral reasoning or moral development, Kohlberg's theory is unable to provide an adequate explanation.
• At several stages of human development, Kohlberg examined the moral reasoning and mental processes of Westerners (Zhang and Zhao, 2017).
• The moral development of females is not adequate.
• Kohlberg`s theory would still fall short of explaining every moral difficulty.

Erik Erikson`s Stages of Social-Emotional Development

An examination of the emotional and social development of children and teenagers, which continues well into adulthood, is presented in this theoretical analysis. Erik Erikson, a psychiatrist, was the first to offer his Eight Steps of Development hypothesis, which was first proposed in 1956 (McAdams and Zapata-Gietl, 2015). As Erik describes it, 'socialization' is an educational endeavor in which the human organism is directed from its infant state of helplessness and extreme egocentricity to its ideal grown-up state of conscious compliance and independent creativity.

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Advantages of Erik Erikson`s Theory

• Using this approach, researchers can examine the lifespan in a more comprehensive and integrated manner.
• Insight into the path to a healthy and good life span is provided by the theory.
• One way to think about individual variations is to look at the concept of psychological crises in their upsides and downsides (McAdams and Zapata-Gietl, 2015).
• Longitudinal studies back up the theory's predictions about how development will proceed.

Disadvantages of Erik Erikson`s Theory

• Additional details are required on the processes of resolution of conflicts and the steps involved in progressing through them.
• Whether there are a predetermined number of life stages and how they relate to a person's unique genetic makeup is up for argument (McAdams and Zapata-Gietl, 2015).
• There has been a male-centric, Eurocentric perspective dominating the idea, which places far too much emphasis on individualism and not enough on connections and social relatedness.
• Cultural influences on child development aren't fully explained here.

Stages of Adulthood

Early Adulthood (years 22-34), Early Midlife (ages 35-44), Middle To late Age (ages 45-64), and Late Adulthood are the four stages of adulthood considered (ages 65 and older).

Psychological crises associated with young adulthood, mid-adulthood, and old age

It is common to have 'quarter-life crises' and 'mid-life crises' in adolescence and middle age because of the unique problems they present. Between the ages of 18 and 25 and 30, many people experience a 'quarter-life crisis.' In many cases, it stems from a person's inability to find a job after graduating from college or the birth of a child; it can also occur when a person is unable to land a job in their desired sector after graduating (Zhang and Zhao, 2017). Young individuals may be concerned about the future, ponder if they've made the right decisions, or speculate on what their future holds.

A person's midlife crisis can be brought on by a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, difficulties at work, difficulties in a marriage, the maturation and eventual separation of one's children, or the aging or death of one's parents. In Erikson's stage of emerging adulthood vs stagnation, people begin to think about how they can make a difference in this world. People who fail to find their life's work and contribute to the growth of others through activities like volunteering, coaching, and raising children may have a sense of stagnation if they don't learn how to do so.

Erikson asserted that the eight phases of psychological development, from birth to adulthood, follow a fixed sequence. At each stage, the person undergoes a psychosocial crisis that has a beneficial or bad impact on their personality development. Psychosocial crises, according to Erikson (1958), are those in which the individual's psychological requirements clash with the demands of society. After each stage is completed, a healthy temperament and the attainment of fundamental virtues are said to be the end outcome. Characteristic strengths that the ego can draw on to deal with subsequent problems are what we mean by 'basic virtues.' Table 1 elaborates on the different stages of adulthood along with crisis by Erikson

Relationships in Middle Adulthood

More than 90% of persons in their mid-twenties had been married and divorced once. A 'U-curve' is a common way for married people to characterize their level of satisfaction in their relationship. When it comes to marriage, most people say it's the first few years that are the happiest. After the financial situation has settled and parental duties have finished, marital contentment rises (McAdams and Zapata-Gietl, 2015). As long as they didn't intend to wait until after the final child leaves home to divorce, couples that stay together until after the last child goes home are likely to be married for another 20 years at the least.

Relationships in Early Adulthood

Adult relationships and love are inseparable. According to psychologist Robert Sternberg, love is composed of three elements: desire, decision commitment, and closeness. Sensation and excitement (including sexual arousal) are two aspects of passion; decision commitment is the decision to love and sustain a relationship with one's spouse or significant other (McAdams and Zapata-Gietl, 2015). In a romantic relationship, intimacy refers to the feelings of warmth and closeness shared by both partners, as well as the desire to help the other person, to reveal one's own vulnerabilities, and to keep the other person in one's life.

Relationships in older adulthood

Longevity is giving older folks the opportunity to form and keep relationships for longer than at any other point in time in history's modern period. One in ten persons over 65 does have a child which is at least 65 years old, according to a recent survey. Fostering long-term familial ties may be rewarding and challenging at the same time (Rohde, et.al., 2013). It's possible that sibling rivalry may fade and be replaced by harmonious relationships as time goes on, but it's also possible that younger adults will be burdened with the responsibility of caring for their unwell or elderly parents, grandmother, and other family members. Despite this, the majority of young people say they have a positive relationship with their elderly relatives.

Impact of a relationship breakdown among adolescent

Over half of all 15-year-olds have dated at some point in their lives. Many young people seek counseling because of problems in their love relationships, yet the breakdown of a relationship appears to be closely linked to mental health problems and a higher risk of suicide.

Furthermore, adolescence is characterized by a wide range of behavioral and developmental difficulties, including the dispensation of intense emotions and 'first loves.' Many studies now show that adolescent romance is not only common, but also has behavioral, emotional, and psychological consequences (Zhang, and Zhao, 2017). Adolescent romance is now well established as a developmental marker for teenagers' self-identity, functioning, and capacity for closeness.

Bereavement During Adolescence

Children's grief is frequently found in studies of adults with various mental disorders including depression, suggesting that such loss may trigger or contribute to the development of a wide range of disorders and that this encounter may render an individual emotionally vulnerable for the rest of their lives. Children are particularly vulnerable because of their immaturity in development and their lack of ability to cope with stress.

'Mourning,' in the true psychodynamic sense of separating one's memories and hopes from the deceased, requires that the kid understand death, be capable of creating a genuine attachment link, and have an image of the attachment figure in one's head (Larsen, and Luna, 2018). However, there is a lot of debate over when children are ready for 'mourning' and how likely it is that they will have a healthy ending if they are bereaved before this point in their development. Before the age of three or four, most experts think that children are unable to really experience grief, but by the time they reach puberty, they are able to do so (in contrast to adults, who have to deal with any loss and changes).

Conclusion

As a result of this research and theoretical discoveries from a cognitive standpoint, many unanswered concerns about the transition from adolescence to adulthood have been raised. While still in the developmental stage, it is feasible to match an individual's abilities and aptitudes with a specialized training program, and the findings of brain structure changes that affect teenage behavior are an important source of information.